Folding chair



(No Model.)4

A. I.. I-IINES.

FOLDING CHAIR.

Patented Mar. I, 1887.

WWW

I ,E "W u Snom/Foz llNrran STATES PATENT GFFICE.

ANDREW L. HINas, or CHARLOTTE, MICHIGAN.

FOLDING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,554, dated March l,1887. Application filed April 8, 1886. Serial No. H1827?. (No modelj).To all whom .it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW L. HINES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Charlotte, in the county of Fatou and State of Michigan,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding Chairs7 of whichthe following is a specilication, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in folding chairs or stools; and itconsists of the peculiar and novel construction and combination ofparts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and particularlypointed ont in the claim.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved foldingchair or stool which shall be very simple, strong, and durable inconstruction, cheap and inexpensive of manufacture, and thoroughlyeffective for the purposes designed.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved chair whichshall fold very closely and compactly, so that it will occupy but asmallspace, which is especially desirable in packing them away or fortransportation; to provide au improved folding back, which shall be veryrigid and firm when it is adjusted for use, and to provide an improvedform of folding legs, which shall be braced against lateral strain whenunfolded fornse and protected from injury when folded against the chairor stool bottom.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l. is a vertical sectional view ofmy improved chair unfolded and adj usted for use. Fig. 2 is a bottomplan view of the chair folded for shipment or storage. Fig. 3 is avertical central sectional view of the device in its folded position, asshown in Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are detached perspective views of partsof my improvements.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denotelike parts in all the figures, A designates my improved folding chair orstool, which comprises the seat B, the back @adapted to fold downwardlyupon the seat, and the legs D, the peculiar construction and arrangementof the several parts of which I will now proceed to describe more fullyand in detail. A

The seat B comprises an open frame, b, and

a seat, b', suitably secured thereto, the said open frame of the seatconsisting of the par- .allel side rails and the transverse parallelrails,

`eled or inclined downwardly and forwardly,

and have the brace or strengthening blocks bA2 suitably secured thereto.

The back C of the chair also comprises an open frame, which is hinged orpivotally connected at its lower end to the rear ends of the seat-frame,as at c, and the lower ends of the side rails of the said frame of thefoldable back extend downwardly and bear against the beveled or inclinedrear ends of the seat-frame when the said back C is adj usted to anupright position for use, the` said back C lying at an angle to the scatand theinclination of the rear ends of the side bars of the seat-framecorresponding to the angle that the back lies to the seat, so that theparts will bear rmly and squarely against each other when they areadjusted for use, as will be very readily understood. I

E designates cleats or battens that are secured to and depend downwardlyfrom the side rails of the seat-frame; and to the front transverse railof the seat-frame is secured supports or blocks F, which are separatedfrom the cleats E for a short distance.

G designates swinging carriers or blocks, which are pivoted at one endto the middle of the cleats or baltens E, and are arranged on the innerface thereof, said carriers being adapted to swing from one side to theother of the seatframe and the cleats E and lieflush therewith, so as tobe concealed from view.

The legs -D are arranged in pairs at each side of the seat-frame, asshown at E E2, and each pair of legs is pivoted together at theirmiddle, as at c. The upper end of each leg E of each pair is pivoted tothe outer free end of the swinging blocks or carriers, as at f, and theupper free end of each leg E2 of each pair is pivoted to the fixed orstationary blocks or supports F, as will be very readily understood. Thelegs of each pair are adapted to fold together or one upon the other, asshown in Figs. 2 and 3, and they are also adapted to fold edgewise andflat against the chair-seat. (See Figs.

IOO

2 and 3, above referred to.) The legs E of each pair are connectedtogether for strength and simultaneous operation by means of tie bars orrods h h, which are secured to the opposite faces thereof, so that theybear against the opposite edges of the legs E'l of each pair when theyare folded together, and the said legs E2 of each pair are alsoconnected together by a transverse bar, I, and braced by inclined orangular braces t', suitably secured in place and together for greatstrength.

The operation of my inventionis as Ifollows: When it is desired to foldthe chair or stool together for shipment or storage, the hinged orpivoted back is. folded downwardly upon the seat and the legs are thenfolded together or upon each other, to execute which the swingingcarriers or blocks are turned or adjusted from their position on oneside of the seat to the other side of the said seat, and the pivotedends of the legs lie or fit snugly between the cleats E and the supportsor blocks F, after which thelegs are folded flat against the seat, asshown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. To unfold the chair and adjust it foruse, the pivoted back is turned to an upright position, so that thelower ends thereof bear against the inclined y rear ends of the siderails of the seat-frame, and the legs are distended or adjusted ont ofalignment with each other, and the swinging blocks are turned on theirpivots to bear against the opposite side of the seat, the free outerends ofthe foldable legs resting on the door or other place to supportthe device in an upright position.

It will 'be observed that I provide an improved chair or stool that willfold very compactly for storage or transportation, that the device isvery simple, strong, and durable in its construction, that it can beeasily and very readily adjusted in a very short time, and that it canbe manufactured and sold at a small expense.

I do not desire to confine myself to the eX- act details of constructionand form and proportion of parts herein shown and described, as I amaware that changes therein can be made without departing from theprinciple of my invention.

'Ihe method of attaching or hinging the legs to the seat of the chair isnot claimed herein. I would also have it understood that a chair havinga hinged back is old, and that it has been proposed to brace such a backby causing the ends thereof to bear upon the seat adjacent to thehinge-point. I'hese constructions I disclaim.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

As an improvement in folding chairs, the seat-frame having the rear endsof its side rails beveled as described, and the brace-blocks b2, rigidlyaffixed to the lower sides of the rails, and having their rear terminalends also beveled, the inclination ofthe beveled ends of thebrace-blocks corresponding to the inclination ofthe siderails of theseat-frame, in combination with a folding back having the side railsthereof hinged at an intermediate point of their length to theseat-frame and extended beneath the seat at the rear end thereof whenturned to an upright position to bear against the rear beveled ends ofthe side rails, and the xed braceblocks of theseat, and a pairoffoldinglegs connected to the under side of the seat,whereby the hingedback is adapted to fold upon the upper side of the seat and the twopairs of legs to fold against the under side of the seat, substantiallyas described, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as' my own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. ANDREW L. vHINES. Witnesses;

DANIEL B. GREEN, GUs'rrN G. HIOKMAN.

